Doctor Who Fanart

What would the four main characters of the original Doctor Who TV series look like if they were reimagined and redesigned for a 21st century cartoon? That's the project I'm working on right now in my deviantART gallery.

Well given that there is audio for the original few episodes of Dr. Who but very little actual moving pictures - but there are some stills - would be interesting to see someone animate it instead. Make it more straight up "Adult" animation style, no silly "boings!" and weird sound effect graphics, but do it like you're simply animating the original. Maybe tweak the sfx a tad just to make them 'pop' a bit and you could be onto something.

Well given that there is audio for the original few episodes of Dr. Who but very little actual moving pictures - but there are some stills - would be interesting to see someone animate it instead. Make it more straight up "Adult" animation style, no silly "boings!" and weird sound effect graphics, but do it like you're simply animating the original. Maybe tweak the sfx a tad just to make them 'pop' a bit and you could be onto something.

I was with you until now. That is NOT Ian Chesterton. Steven Taylor, maybe.

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I know what you mean, and I agree to some extant, but you have to understand that I'm not just drawing these characters in a cartoon style. I'm trying to imagine what it would be like if one were to use the original Tardis gang for a cartoon show targeted at contemporary kids. In order to do that, some things have to be altered, every character has to find a distinct role and visual identity, and I can't just pretend that we're in the 1960's anymore.

Susan with what appears to be a sonic screwdriver. That should negate a certain percentage of her "perils". And, if we can assume her boots are "sturdy", that should prevent many a twisted ankle. Looks like this Susan won't be a constant "damsel in distress".

I know you're going for a "contemporary" look, hence Susan's "modern" wardrobe, which IS neat, BTW. I'm just reminded of a two panel cartoon illustrated in the Doctor Who Magazine years ago. "Retelling" the opening evenys of "An Unearthly Child", Barbara and Ian ponder Susan's strangeness. One asks if it's her unusual knowledge of historial events. The other replies, "No, it's the fact we're in 1963 and she's wearing a Walkman and fashion from the 1980s!" (I thinks it's the unkempt hair that reminded me of that strip.)

Susan with what appears to be a sonic screwdriver. That should negate a certain percentage of her "perils". And, if we can assume her boots are "sturdy", that should prevent many a twisted ankle. Looks like this Susan won't be a constant "damsel in distress".

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Thank you for the kind words.

While I was drawing this, I realized that the Susan I liked was the Susan from "An Unearthly Child", a girl full of spunk and energy, with an air of alien bizareness about her, which is why I tried to draw the 2013 equivalent of that. In later stories, the character evolved and quickly became a generic "damsel in distress", which I didn't find quite as interesting.

While I was drawing this, I realized that the Susan I liked was the Susan from "An Unearthly Child", a girl full of spunk and energy, with an air of alien bizareness about her, which is why I tried to draw the 2013 equivalent of that. In later stories, the character evolved and quickly became a generic "damsel in distress", which I didn't find quite as interesting.

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If you have not seen it, I think you would really enjoy the "unaired pilot" cut of "An Unearthly Child" (which is available as part of the "In the Beginning" DVD box set. Ford plays Susan as even more "alien" and with a bit of a "stately" air. As she talks about her grandfather and herself (once Barbara and Ian have barged into the TARDIS), she hints that she is royalty and then sits upon that ornate wooden chair like she were a queen.

Alas, as was discussed in a round-robin discussion about the first serial (that I saw on YouTube just this weekend), Ford laments that Sydney Newman approached her and kindly requested she "take it down a notch". Apparently, Newman wanted Susan to be the character with whom children and young teens could relate, so she devolved into someone of a "scream queen" (er, princess).

Continuing that stream of thought, Ford lamented that her character didn't have the chance to "grow" as she would have enjoyed Susan "falling" for Ian. What?! I never heard that one, but it came straight from Ford's mouth!

While I was drawing this, I realized that the Susan I liked was the Susan from "An Unearthly Child", a girl full of spunk and energy, with an air of alien bizareness about her, which is why I tried to draw the 2013 equivalent of that. In later stories, the character evolved and quickly became a generic "damsel in distress", which I didn't find quite as interesting.